Receptacle closure



Nov. 2, 1926. I I 1,605,849

A. L. MEROLLE RECEPTACLE CLOSURE Filed March 19, 1924 Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

UNITEDSTM reteste- PMENT OFFIcE;

A'UG-USTUS'L. N'EnoLLnoE BROOK YN, NEW Yoiarr, AssIeNoR T EMPIRE METAL on]? OO., INCL, OE BROOKLYN, NEW YQRK, A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

I RECEPTACLE CLOSURE;

Application filed Ma a is, 1924. -Seria1l\To. 700,374.

This invention relates to a closure device which although particularly intended for use upon tumblers, jelly glasses and the like, may nevertheless be used if desired upon other receptacles as maysuggest themselves tothose skilled in the art. E

An object of the invention is to provide a closure adapted for tight and sealing engagement with'the smooth, substantially perpendicular, walls of, such receptacles and whichmay be readily applied, and which may be readily removed upon occasion.

A further object i-s to provide a closure of the type indicate dand which will com prise parts adapted to be manipulated for effecting an easy removal of the closure.

A further and more detailed object is to provide a closure having agasket element therein, the closure being adapted to be bent during the process'of application for squeez; ing the gasket into more intimate sealing contact with the receptacle.

A further detailed object is to provide a closure havin g an annular portion overhangs ing the side surface of the receptacle and a part comprised in said annular portion extending inwardly into engagement with the side surface of the receptacle in such manner as to comprise in effect a pivot upon which the overhanging portion may be bent downwardly whenthe closure is being applied so as thereby to cause said'portion en'- gagin'g the receptacle to pressmore firmly against the receptacle, also to provide a gasket arranged to be squeezed against the receptacle by the bendingrof the overhanging portion, and also to provide an apron part arranged and constructed to properly reinforce and render more e'llicient the operation of the other parts of the closure and to assist in the application of the closure, all as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and inpart pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles, constituting the invention, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the, accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification,

and in which I hayeshown merely a preferred form ,of embodiment of the invention: I i j Figure 1 is a sideelevational view of a closure constructed in accordance with this invention and being shown applie'd onto a receptacle, a portion. of the clo'sure'and 'of the receptacle being shown in vertical section. Y

Figure 2 is a sectionalview similar to that appearing in Figure 1 but illustrating the position, and condition, of the closure'a's it appears asap-Irate its application onto thev receptacle, and also illustrating the pres ence of a suitable die iwhe rewith to force the closure onto the receptacle, and i V F'gure 3 isxa similar view wherein the closure is partly applied.

Referringto the drawings for describing in detail thestructure therein illustrated, the reference character L indicates the receptacle, which is open atit's upper end and which has its annular outer side surface portion asl, adjacent to the top end thereof, substantially vertical for receiving the closure. i

The reference character G indicates generally the closure; the same being made up of a cover part2 and an annular marginal flange formed thereon. for depending about the surface 1 of the receptacle. The entire closure is preferablyformed. from a' single piece of sheet metal pressed, drawn or otherwise shaped.

The flange part .of the closure is shaped to provide an outstanding, hollow bead or rib 3 at its upper. annular edge where it joins the cover, part2. This rib'in fact'cont prises, as its top wall, the outer annular marginaledge, portion lot the cover part, and as its bottom wall, as 5, an inturned portion of the flange. These two walls 4 and 5 are spaced apart so as to providean annular groove 16 interiorly of the closure which mayor may not, aspreferred, contain a resilient gasket element H.

At its inner" annular edge, as at 6, the wall 5 is bent abruptly downwardly and is flared outwardly to provide an inclined apron ,7, and at the lower annular edge of this apron the material of the flange is turned outwardly and over upon itself so as toprovide a reinforcing wire-edge 8.

In the regular manufacture of this closure the rib 3 will stand projecting directly out wardly as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3, but.

when the closure is being applied onto the receptacle it is intended that said rib shall preferably be bent downwardly and inwardly into substantially the position indicated in Fig. l, a suitable die or like tool, as indicated by the reference character 9, being used for this purpose as indicated in Fig. 2. It is also intended that the rib 3 shall be so shaped and proportioned that the circle defined by the edge 6 shall be normally slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the outer surface 1 of the receptacle, this in order that when the closure has been moved downwardly onto the receptacle, into the position indicated in Fig. 3, the edge portion 6 will at that time have a firm grip upon the surface 1 so that said edge portion will tend strongly to thereafter maintain its position while further pressure is being applied against the outer upper peripheral portion of the rib by the tool 9 and thus induce the rib to be turned or bent downwardly as a whole, to the position indicated in Fig. .1, about a pivot point in the edge 6.

Itwill be apparent that during this downward bending of the rib about the pivot edge 6 a certain and pronounced bending of all parts of the rib will necessarily occur and that since the center point as 10 of the curve connecting the upper and lower walls 4 and 5 will move closer tothe edge 6 of the wall 5, there will be a very powerful pressure generated on account of the resiliency of the metal for forcing the edge 6 against the receptacle and holding it in tight sealing engagement thereagainst.

The outward flare of the apron 7 produces an acute angle at the edge 6 which materially reinforces said edge and the wall 5 and operatesto hold said edge against any tendency to lift away from the receptacle during the'bending down of therib.

The wire edge 8 I provided at the lower outer edge ofthe apron, being nevertheless closely adjacent to the edge 6, greatly reinforces said apron and through it the edge 6 for preventing objectionable movement of said edge 6. It is noted in this connection that the wire edge is so located that it oiiers positive obstruction to any tendency of the lower edge of the apron being swung inwardly toward the receptacle when the rib 3 is being forced downwardly which clearly would occur if the wire edge were omitted.

The outward flare of the apron, and also the presence of the wire edge, materially reinforces the edge portion 6 in attaining a firm grip upon the receptacle when the closure has been moved to the position in Fig. 3, and they continue this reinforcing and strengthening value for holding the edge 6 in a substantially fixed position against the receptacle while the rib is being bent downwardly, and thereafter.

The outward flare of the apron also provides a suitable inclined surface for initially engaging the receptacle to lead the closure and receptacle into proper cooperative engagement when the closure is being applied.

If desired, the sheet metal from which the closure is formed may be lacquered upon one or both of its surfaces, or at least the inner surface of the edge 6 may be solacquered, as indicated by the reference character 11 in Fig. '1, in which instance the lacquer will offer a suitable resilient and sticky surface for engaging against the receptacle to further increasethe grip of the edge 6 upon the receptacle in withstanding the bending force of the die 9, and will also serve as a seal between the closure and the receptacle.

The cover part 2 of the closure'is preferably bent inwardly so as to provide a shoulder or ledge 12 arranged to stand within and against the upper annular edge of the receptacle to thus reinforce the receptacle in withstanding. the bending pressure applied for turning down the rib 3. The position of the ledge 12 interiorly of the receptacle is reached prior to any substantial downward bending of the rib 3, as indicated in Fig. 3.

In case a gasket, as H, is employed within the groove 16 it is intended that said gasket shall be of such size and proportions that it will bev squeezed and compressed against the receptacle first when the closure is initially applied, as in Fig. 3, and additionally during the downward bending of the rib.

It will be seen in Fig. 2 that the gasket H, before engaging the receptacle is indicated as projecting slightly above the top edge of the receptacle. WVhen the closure has reached the position in Fig. 3, the gasket has been squeezed back into the groove 16 and is somewhat compressed against the receptacle. In this position the receptacle stands in engagement with the under sur-. face of the cover part 2 so that no openings are left communicating with the groove through which any portion of the gasket can escape.

hen the rib is bent downwardly from the position in Fig. 3 to the position in Fig. l, the size of the groove is somewhat reduced, and the gasket is correspondingly compressed and forced with great pressure against the receptacle.

A highly eflicient seal is thus attainedl In some instances it may be desirable to employ an inner liner'as 13 within the closure. Where this liner is used the same may rest against the under surface of the cover part 2 and have its marginal portion engaged between the upper edge of the receptacle and the adjacent inner surface of the cover part when the receptacle is applied,

as indicated in Fig. .1.

When it is desired to remove the closure from the receptacle this may be readily accomplished by striking against the outer surface of the rib 3, as at the point 14, Fig. 1, so as to cause the particular portion struck to be indented and to thus cause the adjacent portion of the edge 6 to be lifted away from the receptacle. The same result can be accomplished by striking against the outer surface of the wire edge 8 so as to cause the adjacent portion of the apron to be bent inwardly and, in this wayproduce a tendency to swing the lower wall 5 of the rib 3 upwardly and outwardly towards the outer wall 4, butthis latter operation is more difficult owing to the great strength of the wire edge.

It should be mentioned that in some instances the rib may be left in the position indicated in Fig. 3, that is without being bent downwardly to the position of Fig. 1, for as has been above pointed out, the relative proportions of the edge 6 and the receptacle, taken together with the natural resiliency of the material of the flange portion of the closure, and with the reinforcing value of the apron 7 and its wire edge 8, will hold said edge 6 in sufliciently tight engagement with the receptacle to prevent the likelihood of accidental removal.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims, it is intended that all. matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is z- 1. A receptacle closure comprising a cover portion and a flange portion, the flange portion having an annular part thereof turned inwardly for directly engaging against the outer surface of the receptacle,

and said flange portion above its said receptacle engaging part being shaped to provide .an outstanding rib of such prominence as to be adapted to be bent downwardly about said receptacle engaging part during the application of the closure onto the receptacle for thereby increasing the friction contact of said receptacle engaging part against the receptacle.

2. The combination with a receptacle, of a closure therefor comprising a cover portion and a fiangeportion, the flange portion having an annular part thereof turned inwardly and engaging directly against the outer surface of the receptacle, and said flange portion above its said receptacle engaging part being shaped to provide an outstanding rib bent downwardly about said receptacle engaging part during the application of the closure onto the receptacle for thereby increasing the friction contact of said receptacle engaging part against the receptacle, said rib being hollow so as to provide a groove interiorly of the closure, a gasket filling said groove and engaging against the receptacle, and the area of said groove being reduced during the bending of the rib and thereby pressing the gasket tightly against the receptacle.

3. The combination with a receptacle, of a closure therefor comprising a cover portion and a flange portion, the flange portion having an annular part thereof turned inwardly and engaging directly against the outer surface of the receptacle, said part which engages against the receptacle being normally slightly smaller than the receptacle but the flange portion being resiliently flexible to allow said part to expand and thereby receive the receptacle and thus cause said part to tightly hug the receptacle, said flange portion above its said receptacle engaging part being shaped to provide an outstanding rib bent downwardly about said receptacle engaging-part during the application of the closure onto the receptacle for thereby increasing the friction contact of said receptacle engaging part against the receptacle, and said flange portion having an outwardly flaring annular part extending downwardly from said receptacle engaging part.

4. In a receptacle closure having a flange portion comprising an annular bendable part intended to be bent after application.

of the closure onto the receptacle to thereby force a portion thereof into tight friction contact against the outer wall surface AUGUSTUS L. MEROLLE. 

